Haruko Kiseki
Haruko Kiseki (奇跡=晴子, Kiseki Haruko), full name El Haruko Bosque Del Verde Kiseki is the Captain of the First Division and the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13 in the Rising Phoenix series. A no-nonsense and completely serious law-abider, Haruko is determined to bring those who disobey the laws of Soul Society to justice. Later, after Yūrei is unsealed, Haruko becomes one of Gai Nagareboshi's most powerful allies, though she would never admit that she considers him a close friend. She is known as the "Mook-Complex Maiden of Steel" in Broken Mirror II, due to her fighting skills and motherly attitude towards her subordinates. Appearance Haruko is a rather tall woman with long black hair tied up in a ponytail split in the middle reaching down to her hips with a red ribbon, with her bangs parted in the middle, with some strands of hair resting on her forehead, with her bangs reaching down to her chest. She has crimson eyes. One can easily associate her white skin with that of a princess. She wears a white uniform with high stockings that creates a Zettai Ryouiki. She is very well-endowed, as she was once complaining about the size of her breasts being too big, only to think to herself that maybe men like that. Personality and Traits As the new Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, Haruko comes off as cold, harsh, and emotionless to those under her charge; however, this because as she is unsure of her success at this job, she is unwilling to express emotion, out of fear that people will reject her true personality. She is stressed out, and tired of her job because she doesn't know if the Haruko that everyone admires is the 'real' Haruko, or the persona of the Maiden of Steel that she presents to the masses. Haruko doesn't appreciate the attention people heap on her because of her position because she feels they're shallow and are just being self-serving; the fact that she is frequently concerned about people only caring about her due to her job only amplifies these feelings of resentment. However, after meeting Gai, with his advice, she wins back the estranged Gotei 13 by confessing that she doesn't like being showered with praise and being reliant on her, and that she'd rather see them improve themselves instead of looking up to someone else. In her past, Haruko had a hard time socializing with other kids (other boys made fun of her for being boyish) so she had virtually no friends, except for Gunha who thought of her as a cute girl and helped her out by chasing those boys away whenever she was being mocked. While Haruko is adamant about respecting the rules of Soul Society, she is more than willing to break those rules and go against Yamamoto's wishes if it means that she can save those she cares about- or if she wants to prove a point. As her own person, Haruko is the only person with a shred of sanity in the Rising Phoenix universe; a trait she once shared with Gunha, who eventually came to accept that he liked the world in its own wacky way. She is the only person to point that Gai shouldn't be half as successful, popular, or even alive given his behavior and is often driven to anger by the fact that nobody really listens to her. Even the universe is against her, as she is trying to apply real-world logic to a wacky universe. However, she does have a kind side; as deep down, she certainly does care for her comrades; after spending a lot of time with Gai, she becomes less arrogant, though she does retain her elitist attitude, which is used for a more comedic effect. However, she is more caring of others, especially to the other members of the cast. In fact she becomes de facto leader of the main cast, as she is constantly mobilizing them and come up with strategies; neither is she worried to get down and dirty for anything important to them. History Synopsis Equipment Powers and Abilities Unlike the majority of the other characters, who improvise when it comes to special techniques and usually fight freestyle, Haruko follows the teachings of her unnamed master adamantly, and as such, has mastered all of the regular Shinigami abilities and fights according to plan, which leaves her at a disadvantage in some situations, as she has depended on her teachings to get her through tougher battles, whereas her allies can think up techniques on the spot. In addition, Haruko has no little bells and whistles like the rest of the main protagonists, and instead merely relies on skill and experience to overcome her foes. Master Swordsmanship Specialist: As a practitioner of Kendō as a young woman, Haruko expertly knows her way around a sword. She fights gracefully, as if she were dancing on ice, and uses her knowledge of sword styles to their full effect. Haruko's sword movements are gentle yet powerful, showing no fear in the heat of battle, battling in a fluid manner and inflicting flawless blows upon her opponent. Her stance is similar to that of traditional Japanese dances, and her movements hammer this in even further. The speed at which she attacked is noted by others to be incomprehensible, as she can inflict several blows upon her opponent in the blink of an eye. Haruko utilizes many graceful flips, twirls, and cartwheels, often throwing her sword at her opponent in battle. Haruko is also capable of utilizing her scabbard as an off-hand weapon when cornered, in addition to being able to wield her Zanpakutō using her feet when she has to improvise. She often mixes in pirouetting kicks, twirls, and one-handed backflips with her swordsmanship, overwhelming an opponent through multi-directional attacks with relative ease. Haruko can slice through any echelon of supernatural energy with her blade, such a feat is capable only due to the natural sharpness of her blade. *'Saikurō' (砕躯龍, Smashing Body Dragon): This is one of Haruko's most basic, yet naturally flexible techniques. Haruko charges energy upon her blade, allowing the energy to flow down to cover the entirety of her sword. There, she swings her arm forward along with the blade in a downwards manner, which converges the energy at the tip, before activating the energy, which then spreads out and materializes in the form of an enormous dragon which is crimson in colouration; despite this being a technique utilized by the sword, it does not literally "cut;" in fact, through the sheer size of the dragon, Haruko uses it to smash her opponent into the ground with it. The head is capable of inflicting heavy damage through biting; though Haruko rarely uses it as such. *'Ninpu Sengeki: Hariken' (忍布穿撃: 刃離剣, Sturdy Cloth Drill Attack: Blade Detached Sword): A special technique learned by Haruko that is the natural progression of her skills in swordsmanship; and one of her supreme techniques. Haruko charges energy upon her blade, allowing the energy to flow down to cover the entirety of her sword. There, she swings her arm forward along with the blade in the manner that would imply in an arc fashion, causing the energy to extend outwards at lightning speed, quickly spinning around the opponent at an incomprehensible pace. It warps around the opponent around seven-ten times in the span of a few moments, leaving multiple 'layers' of energy in its wake that restrain the foe in an impossibly tight manner. From there, the moment the foe is restricted, Haruko throws her blade at the foe up to five times, summoning it back to her hand after each toss; impaling them several times in an instant. Expert-Hand-to-Hand Combatant: While her true skill is with her blade, Haruko has shown to be rather proficient in the art of hand-to-hand combat. Haruko has shown that she is able to effortlessly knock out Gunha stealthily with an open-hand strike. She can easily catch an opponent's attack with a single hand, perform powerful kicks and wrestling throws, as well as elegant techniques. In battle, Haruko uses a fighting style known as Savate. It revolves around fierce leg strikes, and destructive yet simple arm strikes. It is a French style of fighting which was created for fighting opponents that use weapons. Also, it has been known for it's submissive defensive kicks, and offensive disarming strikes. Haruko's fighting style is freestyle and improvised; it follows no particular code of honor at all, and so if necessary, she will actually attack women, hit below the belt, attack even if her opponents have their backs turned on her or are otherwise unprepared or unsuspecting, use allies or opponents as human shields or even bite her opponents. While fighting, Haruko can also think on the spot, and come up with creative counterattacks against her enemies. *'Jūken Dageki: Gekiren' (縦拳墮撃: 激恋, Vertical Fist Lapsing Attack: Violent Passion): A powerful hand-to-hand technique which, for once, doesn't involve contact with the foe. To use it, Haruko thrusts her left arm forward which is clenched in a fist with intense force, creating an enormous amount of air pressure, before releasing her left hand into an open palm, which launches the air pressure at the opponent in the shape of a lion. The air pressure will condense as it's moving and be focused into a single point. The technique then explodes on command, releasing the built up air pressure in an instant. A massive concussive explosion is created which can be felt a significant distance away. Master Magician: Unlike others in the Rising Phoenix series, Haruko is capable of using actual magic; which is an innate trait of her family, whose female side are accomplished witches. Haruko is second only to Yuuki in terms of magic amongst the characters in the Rising Phoenix universe, displaying superior skill to anyone before, and anyone since. She is able to create massive rock formations and pillars, encase her opponent in ice, project a gust of wind powerful enough to send foes spiraling away from her hand, block blasts of energy without raising her arms, and telekinetically control her blade, for an added advantage. Immense Speed: As befitting her light frame, even though she is physically weaker than most of the cast, Haruko is noticeably faster. Without using any particular type of movement-enhancing technique, Haruko usually moves at speeds rivaling those of Gunha's when using Flash Step. Her movements are so tremendously swift that few would be likely to see an attack take place—this enables her to attack almost a multiple of ten times in a row per second; and she manages to move fast enough to instantly close a huge gap of space between her and the opponent and even seemingly disappear from sight in the span of a few moments. The speed that she moves at can be considered supernaturally fast, although it seems as if she can teleport as well; the fact that Haruko seems to manifest afterimages as she moves reinforces the fact that Haruko's speed indeed is supernatural. *'Chōjin Kaihi: Zettō' (跳陣回避: 絶逃, Leaping Array Evasion: Suppressing Flee): A unique technique that Haruko has developed upon witnessing Gai's Kokugenei technique. Using it, Haruko gathers an enormous amount of spiritual energy upon her feet as if preparing an extremely high jump. However, she then condenses it to its utmost limit with her magical prowess, before releasing it all at once and initiating a large burst of speed, where she accelerates to such high speeds that she breaks the sound barrier, thus creating a sonic boom, while streaks of fire are released from her slipstream. While in this state, Haruko is invulnerable and can take out all enemies and obstacles that stand in her way. Innate Frailness: Haruko is much weaker in physical strength compared to other members of the cast, since her legs buckle inwards as she slides whereas many of the other cast keep them bent strong. She also gives the impression of being as weak as ice, though the grievous wounds that she receives throughout the series imply that she is somewhat tough as well. Enhanced Strength: Despite her fragile nature, Haruko is noted to be rather powerful physically. An example of this is destroying a foe's Zanpakutō with a simple downward chop. She is also seen knocking Lu Bu through a building with her punch. Haruko is able to effortlessly attack an opponent with minor movement or force. She tore off Pamela's arm and launched her through a nearby building without any effort behind her throw. Haruko was also able to contend with Diavolo's nanomachine-powered form with little effort. Expert Tactician: In battle, Haruko's preference is to concoct strategies based on deduction of her opponents' abilities and fighting style. Haruko's mind makes her one of the most powerful characters in the Rising Phoenix series. Along with her centuries of experience as the Captain-Commander, Haruko has molded herself into a master strategist, tactician, and analyst. She is frequently the first person to point out or find a weakness in her opponent's abilities or fighting style and exploit them to her advantage. The weakness of this is that in her attempt to understand and come up with a way to defeat her opponent, she tends to go easy on her opponent at first and is often the most injured of the five main characters. Nevertheless, her ability to think several steps before the enemy almost always ensures her victory. Minute Spiritual Power: Despite her status as the Captain-Commander, Haruko's spiritual energy levels are rather miniscule; amongst the lowest in the cast. But for how small it is; Haruko has precise control over her energy; and as such, she is able to let it flow through her body freely without any problems and utilize it for a various number of purposes; though its most common application is utilizing it to drastically augment her blows. Stats Zanpakutō Karaware (空裂, Cracked Sky) is the name of Haruko's Zanpakutō; it is a rapier that seems to act as a focus for her magic. It is standard sized and gray. The hilt forms 4 prongs that act as a guard around the revolver's chamber-like mechanism, in place of the usual basket hilt. Haruko controls this mechanism with her hands, and amplify the power of her blows. The rapier is highly durable, slashing away at an Akutenbake with no side effects to the blade. Its most prominent ability lies in the revolver-like mechanism held within the hilt, which is colour coded with various attributes for each mode. It is constantly in Shikai. *'Supairaru' (珠波衣羅盧, Ball Wave Garment Gauzing Hut): Karaware's basic ability; with it, Haruko flares up her spiritual energy to it's fullest extent before compressing it upon her blade, concentrating it and transferring it's power to all the joints in her body before channeling it into the tip of the blade and releasing it in the form of a truly enormous and exceedingly powerful sphere of pulsating spiritual energy that moves at incredible speeds once it leaves the blade of Karaware, blasting into her foe and causing incredible damage, and upon impact, it tends to launch the target backward after being hit or, if the target is lying on the ground or being launched to the ground, the destructive force is enough to form a crater. This sphere is composed purely of ice, and is capable of freezing an opponent solid with relative ease. Special Abilities: Karaware allows Haruko to control water and ice; enabling her to create ice which she can manipulate through willpower alone through the ability of Cryokinesis (氷能力 (クリオキネシス), kuriokinesisu, Japanese for "Ice Power", English for "Cryokinesis"). The ice Haruko creates is resistant to fire-based attacks, only melting slightly when coming into contact with flames. It is utilized by Haruko reducing the kinetic energy of spiritual particles in a body of water and reducing temperature to absolute zero, freezing it over, becoming ice. The power it expels is so overwhelming that it affects the weather within the immediate vicinity, creating a thunderstorm or a blizzard. In battle, she uses her ice powers to disable and immobilize enemies, freezing their bodies solid just by touching them, and threatening to shatter their fragile forms. However, a downside of this ability is that most of its uses require Haruko to actually make direct contact with her foe to freeze them. *'Chōjū Rengeki: Raibu' (超重連撃: 雷舞, Super Heavy Chain Attack: Thunder Dance): One of Haruko's most powerful techniques; here, she coats ice upon her blade and then condenses spiritual energy upon it, before dashing forward and launching a seven-hit combo, during which she is invulnerable to damage; before she unleashes five successive strikes afterwards, and ending the combo with a final, somersaulting strike that is capable of rending the earth. Each of the first seven strikes unleash powerful bursts of ice that are capable of destroying the landscape, while the next five inflict piercing, penetrating damage that tear through the sturdiest of defenses. However, the final blow discards all of Haruko's defense for one, massive, full-powered attack that destroys anything it touches instantly. *'Tensō Rakugeki: Gosei' (天葬落撃: 竃勢, Heaven Burial Falling Attack: Kiln Force): Haruko performs a bowl-shaped gesture with her hands; one over the other, before converging the vapor in the atmosphere into the gesture before focusing and reducing the temperature of the vapor to absolute zero; this causes the vapor to take the shape of a sphere of ice which spins around at high speeds; Haruko then throws her arms forward, causes the sphere of ice to quickly break apart and erupt in the form of a powerful stream of ice that glows many a colour similar to an Aurora Borealis. This attack is capable of delivering mass devastation and freezing anything it touches; it is basically an enormous blast of aurora that is even able to freeze the spiritual particles in the air and the opponent's soul for a time, making this Haruko's strongest technique in Shikai. Amusingly, Gai calls it a "Kamehameha". Bankai: Ugachi Karaware (穿千空裂, Thousand Pierces rend the Cracked Sky): In Bankai, Haruko's outfit completely changes. She wears a dual-toned armour composed of a simple light-blue breastplate joined to the collar, which sports a heart centered between two wing-shaped decorations. The pauldrons are structured by two light-blue plates, faintly shaped like wings, consecutively surmounted by one another and pointed downwards. They are adorned by intricate ornamental wings on each pauldron. The gauntlets completely envelop her arms and feature prominent feather-shaped decorations pointing backwards in correspondence to her wrists. The waistguard is made up of plates attached to the breastplate, surrounded by a thin belt around Haruko's waist, and has a short, blueish-white skirt underneath covering her upper thighs. Her greaves reach up to the center of her bare thighs and possess feather-like ornaments protruding from the upper edges of her greaves and the lower edges of her knee guards, which have similar motifs carved on them, and each sport a pair of small wings, one attached to the knee guard and one in correspondence to Haruko's ankles. Bankai Special Abilities: In Bankai, Haruko is capable of breaking herself into ice to avoid damage from most physical attacks; and she has extreme resistance to cold, due to this element. Haruko is also able to travel great distances and move at high speeds by turning her entire body to ice. Haruko is capable of creating prisons of ice, freezing flames, immobilizing the opponent or even throwing cold air directly at them, which can freeze up their internal organs (which facilitates Haruk to break the victim into pieces). In its strongest technique, the temperature of the ice is -273.15 ° C (absolute zero). *'Kyōryū Tokkō: Seijū Rensōkyaku' (凶龍特攻: 聖獣煉槍脚, Wicked Dragon Special Attack: Holy Beast Refined Spear Leg): An extremely powerful attack; Haruko kicks the ground, causing multiple mirrors of ice to be created around the enemy, reflecting nothing but Haruko. The opponent is trapped in a dome of twenty-one floating mirrors made out of ice. Once Haruko has entered the mirrors, it's possible for her to move between the mirrors at high speeds. As every mirror shows her reflection, one could say it's impossible to see all of Haruko's attacks. The moment that the opponent attacks a wrong mirror, Haruko can attack her foe by freezing the molecules around her and forming the frozen molecules into a large bird-like creature that shoots forth and begins to fly at high speeds toward the opponent. At the point of impact, the bird freezes whatever it has come in contact with and begins to create a clone of Haruko from its ice. The clone then continues the technique by utilizing yet another mirror, allowing Haruko to tear an opponent apart from various angles while they remain relatively safe. *'Kaizoku Senkō: Gōkai Rasen Renpa' (界続穿孔: 豪快螺旋連破, World Series Drilling Pit: Splendid Spiral Successive Victory): Haruko's strongest technique; she unleashes a towering glacier made of bunched flower shapes which erupts immediately beneath a person's feet, completely encasing them in a prison of frigid ice that is nearly impossible to melt: though shattering it or cutting it is a different matter and one of the only known methods of escape. And even in light of this, should the person be trapped completely swift outside help is required, lest they freeze to death. The only warning sign is the bunching together of cold air followed by the "tip" of the glacier rising from the ground. As the snow comes into contact with the opponent, ice flowers sprout all over their body, instantly trapping them in a pillar of ice. The moment that this is done; the pillar of ice draws seawater upwards and freezes it into a giant floating iceberg right above the target, then hurls it down on the target, similar to a meteor. As to be expected however, the spiritual energy requirement is quite large, meaning Haruko can't hurl it around without a plan. Trivia *Haruko's move names are based on the titles of various installments of Tōei's Super Sentai series; which is fitting, as she is a massive fan of the series: **Ninpu Sengeki: Hariken – Ninpū Sentai Hurrican'''ger, the 26th Sentai. **Jūken Dageki: Gekiren – '''Jūken Sentai Gekiran'''ger, the 31st Sentai. **Chōjū Rengeki: Raibu – '''Chōjū Sentai Live'''man, the 12th Sentai and the last installment produced during the Shōwa period of Japanese history. **Tensō Rakugeki: Gosei – '''Tensō Sentai Gosei'''ger, the 34th Sentai. **Chōjin Kaihī: Zettō – '''Chōjin Sentai Jet'''man, the 15th Sentai and the last pre-Power Rangers installment. **Kyōryū Tokkō: Seijū Rensōkyaku – '''Kyōryū Sentai Zyūranger and Seijū Sentai Gingaman, the 16th and 22nd Sentai, respectively. **Kaizoku Senkō: Gōkai Rasen Renpa – Kaizoku Sentai 'Gōkai'ger, the 35th Sentai. 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